Roasted Italian Vegetables

Antipasti Roasted Italian vegetables (or if your doing Tapas, Spanish ones or Provencal, French ones)

1 bunch of spring onions (whites only)

2 large red onions

1 large Fenchel bulb

2 courgettes

1 large Aubergine

6 large cloves of garlic (leave the parchment skin on)

Fresh herbs (basil, rosemary, thyme and sage)

Course salt and ground pepper

Olive oil.

Slice the Aubergines quite thin length ways, sprinkle with salt and allow to dewater on a plate (this is also to remove any bitterness, though today they are no longer as bitter as in years gone by due to the unnatural selection process.

Slice the courgettes lengthways

Slice the Fenchel bulb into thin slices (and attached stems cut into pieces.

Peel the onions and cut into 1/8ths

 

Remove the aubergine slices and pat dry, place these along with the rest of the vegetables and herbs into a deep roasting tray, splash liberally  with olive oil, add the herbs, grind over the pepper and sprinkle with the sea salt, mix all together (use your hands it’s easiest).


Cover with aluminium foil and put into a pre-heated oven at 200-210°C for 30 minutes, the vegetables should still have a bit of bite in them. When finished transfer to a dish and cover.

 

In the same roasting tray place some small Italian Roma tomatoes (Those small plum shaped ones), sprinkle with salt and roll in the oil left over in the base of the roasting dish, pop into the oven and roast until the skin splits, remove and add to the rest of the vegetables.

Roasted peppers

2 each large red and yellow peppers (Capsicum)

Place in a roasting dish and place in an oven at 200°C for half an hour (check at 25 minutes, the skin should be blistered and blackening in places, if not put them in for another 10 minutes. Remove and pop into a zip-lock bag and allow to sweat (I left them for a good hour). Remove from the bag and the skin will just pull off break open and remove the stem and seeds (best done under running water) tear into pieces.

Put the ripped pieces of sweet grilled peppers on top of the other roast vegetables, that’s it ready to serve.